Why TV shows like ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ attract high-profile movie directors

If you watched "Ozymandias," the most recent episode of AMC's hit series "Breaking Bad," you may have been too busy picking your jaw up off the floor to notice the fact that it was directed by "Looper" filmmaker Rian Johnson.

“Ozymandias,” which has quickly become a fan favourite, was the most-watched episode of “Breaking Bad” ever -- and also one of the best reviewed in the show’s history. Writer Moira Walley-Beckett, showrunner Vince Gilligan, and the talented cast certain deserve much of the credit for that, but it’s safe to say that the episode wouldn’t have been the same without Johnson’s visual flourishes and expertly directed high tension scenes. The director recently recorded a commentary for the episode (which you can listen to here) for /Film's The Ones Who Knock podcast. It’s a fascinating look at how a good filmmaker can elevate already great material to another level.

"['Breaking Bad'] is the only thing I've done where I'm directing someone else's material," Johnson said on the podcast. "I really love it - especially when you have material and writing that's this good."

Johnson recently told the Hollywood Reporter that he felt "lucky" to be involved in the project. "I don't know if anything will be able to top being there the last day out there in the desert. I am so grateful I was able to have a small part in this."

Despite his involvement in the third last episode of the series, Johnson admitted he doesn't know how "Breaking Bad" will end. "I'm really grateful I'm able to watch the last two episodes now not knowing what happens," he said in the same interview. "I know a little bit, just from being in the production office, but I don't know all the details."

Johnson, who previously directed two other episodes of the Bryan Cranston drug drama (Season 3’s “Fly” and Season 5’s “Fifty-One”), joins a growing list of big-screen filmmaking talents who have turned to television in recent years. That list now includes people like Neil Marshall (“The Descent”), David Fincher (“The Social Network”), Joel Schumacher (“A Time to Kill”), and Martin Scorsese (“Goodfellas”). Marshall directed the acclaimed “Blackwater” episode of the HBO fantasy series “Game of Thrones,” Fincher and Schumacher tackled episodes of the Netflix political drama “House of Cards” (Fincher also produces the show), and Scorsese shot the $18 million pilot for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” (a series that he also executive produces).

Heck, even A-list filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and Steven Soderbergh have been producing TV for a while now ("Band of Brothers,""Arrested Development," and "Behind the Candelabra," respectively). So, why are all these acclaimed directors moving into television?

The simple answer is opportunity. Modern TV dramas offer filmmakers a chance to direct more interesting material. Mid-sized movies (the primary realm of the previously listed filmmakers) are increasingly very difficult to get made in Hollywood. It’s one of the reasons why so much screenwriting talent – and now directing talent – has migrated to television over the past decade or so: TV is the chance to actually challenge viewers.

Johnson's "Looper" is a perfect example of a movie in that mid-range that actually tried to do something different. Unsurprisingly, the $30 million was financed by two indie production companies (Endgame and DMG) and not a big Hollywood studio. If it’s not a major tentpole film guaranteed to make half-a-billion dollars at the box office or some clichéd romantic comedy, Hollywood’s eyes just glaze over. The average studio picture might be making bank, but it’s unlikely you’d be able to call it thought-provoking.

With amazing and award-winning shows like "Breaking Bad" and "Boardwalk Empire" becoming the new norm on television, is it any wonder that these filmmakers want in on the action? Even bankable movie actors are starting to get in on the TV game. Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards”), Matt Damon ("Behind the Candelabra") and Matthew McConaughey (the upcoming HBO series “True Detectives”) are just a few of the big names who have appeared in TV shows or TV movies in recent years. The movie industry's loss is TV's gain.

Which big actor or director will be next?